How to actually build self discipline

Have you ever had a spout of motivation?

You are full of excitement and you go plan out your next day, week, or month.

You plan all these things you're going to get done.

But when that alarm sounds the next morning.

You press snooze and head back to sleep.

What you needed in that moment was discipline.

In the last couple of years, I have been obsessed with building self-discipline.

Whether it was watching David Goggins or listening to Jocko Willink.

I've always admired their structure and their intense discipline.

I've always wanted to emulate these people who do extremely hard things that they don't want to do.

But...

No matter how much I tried...

It would only give me a short string of disciplined actions.

But soon I would be back to my old ways

That's when I realized what I'm going to share in this newsletter with you.

But first, what does discipline mean?

Definition: is the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.

Now this definition is too broad for what I will be discussing today.

So in this newsletter discipline will mean "Completing the tasks and activities that you may not want to do, but that you know will help you make progress towards your goals and accomplish what you want to achieve."

I want to share with you some neuroscience that was shared on the Huberman Lab Podcast that shows exactly what discipline is and gives us an idea of how to train it.

There is a part of the brain known as the Anterior Mid Cingulate Cortex.

The interesting thing about this part of the brain is how it reacts when you're disciplined.

For instance, you wake up and you don't want to take a cold shower but you do it anyway. Then this brain area will grow. Now you may be wondering why you should care about it growing.

Well, the Mid Cingulate Cortex is smaller in obese people. It gets bigger when they diet.

This brain area is larger in athletes. It is very large in people that see themself as challenged and overcome that challenge.

And most importantly...

In people that live a long life, this area keeps its size.

Scientists are starting to think of these brain areas not just for measuring willpower and discipline but as well as an indicator of the will to live.

Now the thing about this brain area is that it only grows when you do tasks or activities you don't want to do.

Luckily data points to the idea that we can grow this area consciously

but...

If we don't do things that we don't want to do then this area will begin to shrink.

This demonstrates that discipline is not something you do for a while and then you have discipline.

Discipline is a way of life. It is a trait that you have to build. You need to understand that this is a process. It's always going to be hard and that is the warrior's path.

If life was easy and there were no challenges then it would be meaningless.

This means to have a meaningful life you need to do what needs to be done even if you don’t want to. The way you know what needs to be done is by following your life's purpose.

Whenever you are at the crossroads of "Ahh I don't want to do this!"

Think of if it aligns with the person you want to become and if it does you need to do it anyway.

This is how you build self-discipline.

Now I have created a protocol that I call The Evolution Protocol.

It is six simple but not easy steps.

But first I want to go over a couple of problems that you may face when you try to build self-discipline.

1. You try to do huge acts of self-discipline.

   You go online and see David Goggins doing a 30-mile run.

   Then what do you do?

   You go outside and think you should be able to do a 30-mile run

   But then half a mile in you've given up.

   Now this might work for some people but for most, it won't.

2. You lack consistency with self-discipline.

   You start and are disciplined for a couple of hours or even days, but then you do one thing to go back to your old ways and everything falls apart.

3. You get too much cheap dopamine. Dopamine from things like junk food, social media, and masturbation gives you a short rise in dopamine but then you create a new lower baseline for your dopamine.

   This causes you to feel tired and lethargic. Not an ideal feeling for building self-discipline.

The Evolution Protocol 6 Steps to Being Disciplined

1. 5 times throughout the day when you notice something that you know would be useful to yourself or someone else but you have resistance towards doing it do it anyway.

   Now this helps to grow your Cingulate Cortex and it also helps you to accumulate small wins. Many small wins and starting with tasks you see as insignificant like cleaning your room prevents you from falling into problem 1 from earlier.

   Make sure to record these wins in a journal every day as this will further tell your brain that doing hard things is worth the effort.

   Over time when you have pages upon pages of journal entries of you doing things that you didn't want to do you. You will have evidence that you are disciplined.

2. Create a new identity for yourself. Don't say I am trying to be disciplined. Instead, state that you are disciplined.

   There has been evidence of this power of identity with Alcoholics. Those who said they were trying to quit drinking alcohol were more prone to going back.

   While those who identified as sober and non-alcoholic we less likely to drink again.

   Now the reason behind this is as humans we need to protect our identity. If someone or something threatens our identity then we will act to prevent it from happening. In this case, drinking alcohol threatened a sober person's identity.

   You need to identify as a hero.

   This is because all heroes need to make sacrifices. ‘

   The sacrifices you make don't have to be dying to save your city, they can be the things you don't want to do but will propel you towards your goals.

3. Meditating for 10 minutes daily

   I know you have all heard meditation is good for you, but are you doing it?

   If you do not you are missing out on a whole host of benefits not to mention self-discipline.

   Meditation builds self-discipline because discipline starts in the mind. If you can manage your emotions and thoughts you will be able to have discipline.

   Meditation also trains your awareness and your willpower.

   Both willpower and awareness are necessary for discipline.

4. Create a strong why for your goals.

   Write down the reason you disciplined.

   Is it to retire your parents?

   To be able to travel the world?

   To live a life on your terms?

   Is it to reach a fitness goal?

   Whatever it is it needs to be a strong reason.

   That will push you through the mornings when you don't want to get up

5. Understand what will happen if you are not disciplined

   You need a clear vision of what will happen if you are not disciplined.

   This should scare you.

   And some days your brain may try to cope and say that today doesn't matter.

   It will say "Oh it's only one day", however, your brain has been telling you that over and over this adds up to weeks, months, and years.

   This is why you need to have both a compelling vision of what you want also a vision of what you fear most.

   Understand that being undisciplined is harder than being disciplined.

   The price of not being disciplined is you will realize your worst fears.

6. Understand that discipline is a lifelong journey

   Don't be disciplined so then you don't have to be disciplined.

   This mindset will cause you to fall back into your old habits that are the reason you are reading this.

   So instead understand that discipline is not one act or even multiple it is a lifestyle.

   There are going to be thousands if not more times during your life when you don't want to do the hard work.

   You're going to need to do it anyway to make your vision become reality.

   Thank you for reading this far!

   Hope you found this guide helpful!

   Sincerely, Christian